What Is the Clinton Antique Festival?
The Clinton Antique Festival is a free, outdoor antique street event held twice each year in Historic Downtown Clinton, Tennessee, organized by the Anderson County Chamber of Commerce in partnership with the Antique Merchants Guild of Clinton. Also known as the Clinch River Antique Festival, the event has been recognized as one of the best places to shop for antiques in the Southeast. The festival runs in two editions each year, a spring edition in May and a fall edition in October and draws over 100 antique vendors to the streets of downtown Clinton each season. More than 20 permanent brick-and-mortar antique shops in the surrounding district participate alongside outdoor vendors during festival weekends. Admission is free and the event is open to all ages.
What Are the Spring and Fall Festival Dates and Schedule?
The Clinton Antique Festival operates on two separate weekends each year, each following a distinct two-day schedule with different vendor programming per day.
Clinch River Spring Antique Festival — May 2026 Schedule
The Clinch River Spring Antique Festival takes place on the first weekend of May each year. The 2026 spring edition is scheduled for May 2–3, 2026, with permanent antique shops remaining open on Sunday, May 4.
| Day | Date | Hours | Programming |
| Friday | May 2, 2026 | 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM | 100+ antique street vendors on Market Street; food vendors; live music; extended shop hours until 8:00 PM |
| Saturday | May 3, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM | Street vendors continue; artisan vendors join on Main Street; food and live music continue |
| Sunday | May 4, 2026 | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM | Permanent antique shops open only; street vendor program concluded |
On Friday, over 100 antique dealers line Market Street beginning at noon. On Saturday, artisan vendors join on Main Street from 9:00 AM. Live music and food vendors operate across both festival days.
Clinch River Fall Antique Festival — October 2026 Schedule
The Clinch River Fall Antique Festival is the larger of the two annual editions and is described by organizers as the biggest event of the year in Historic Downtown Clinton. The 2026 fall edition is scheduled for October 3–4, 2026.
| Day | Date | Hours | Programming |
| Friday | October 3, 2026 | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM | Hundreds of antique vendors; live music; food vendors; entertainment and demonstrations |
| Saturday | October 4, 2026 | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM | Full vendor program continues; demonstrations and additional entertainment |
The fall edition draws hundreds of antique vendors across both days, significantly exceeding the spring vendor count. Collectors targeting rare or high-demand items should prioritize the fall festival.
What Antique Vendors and Categories Appear at the Clinton Antique Festival?
The Clinton Antique Festival hosts over 100 outdoor antique dealers during the spring edition and hundreds of vendors during the fall edition. Vendors occupy Market Street and Main Street in Historic Downtown Clinton. In addition to outdoor street vendors, more than 20 permanent brick-and-mortar antique shops within the downtown district participate by extending their hours across festival weekends.
The Antique Merchants Guild of Clinton coordinates the permanent shop community and maintains a directory of participating merchants. The permanent shops carry curated inventory that is distinct from the outdoor vendor offerings, giving festival visitors access to two separate inventory layers during a single visit.
Collectors and shoppers visiting the fall edition gain access to the largest combined vendor and shop selection of the two annual festivals.
Visitors planning a broader Tennessee antique shopping trip can explore antique malls and markets across Tennessee for additional destination options in the state.
What Is the Admission Cost and What Are the Festival Hours?
| Detail | Information |
| Admission | Free — no entry fee for either festival edition |
| Spring Friday Hours | 12:00 PM – 8:00 PM |
| Spring Saturday Hours | 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM |
| Spring Sunday Shop Hours | 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (permanent shops only) |
| Fall Friday Hours | 11:00 AM – 8:00 PM |
| Fall Saturday Hours | 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM |
| Age Suitability | All ages; family-friendly |
| Organizer | Anderson County Chamber of Commerce |
| Organizer Phone | 865-457-2559 |
| Organizer Website | andersoncountychamber.org |
Both the spring and fall editions of the Clinton Antique Festival carry no admission charge. Visitors may enter and exit the festival area freely across all operating hours on both days.
Where Is the Clinton Antique Festival Located and How Do You Get There?
The Clinton Antique Festival is held in Historic Downtown Clinton, Tennessee. The festival vendor area covers Market Street and Main Street in the downtown district. The Anderson County Chamber of Commerce, which organizes the event, is located at 245 N Main Street, Clinton, TN 37716.
Driving directions: Take Interstate 75 to Exit 122 (Norris/Clinton). Follow surface roads into Historic Downtown Clinton. Festival signage in the downtown district directs visitors toward the vendor area on Market Street and Main Street.
Clinton, Tennessee, sits in Anderson County approximately 20 miles north of Knoxville. The festival location is accessible from Knoxville, Oak Ridge, Norris, and surrounding Anderson County communities within a 30-minute drive. Street parking is available in blocks surrounding the main festival corridor.
Visitors traveling from Middle Tennessee can reference the Nashville flea market and antique shopping guide for antique event coverage in that region, or explore the Franklin Antique Mall as a destination along the I-65 corridor.
What Permanent Antique Shops Operate in Historic Downtown Clinton?
Historic Downtown Clinton supports more than 20 permanent antique shops that operate year-round and extend their hours during both festival weekends. The Antique Merchants Guild of Clinton coordinates these shops and provides a complete merchant directory at antiquesinclinton.com.
During the spring festival, permanent shops extend hours to 8:00 PM on Friday evening. On Sunday following the spring festival weekend, shops reopen from 1:00 PM to 5:00 PM for visitors continuing their shopping after the street vendor program concludes. This Sunday session is unique to the spring edition and is not part of the fall festival schedule.
The permanent shop district in Historic Downtown Clinton operates independently of the festival calendar, making Clinton a viable antique shopping destination throughout the year. Visitors exploring antique stores across Tennessee will find the downtown Clinton district among the more concentrated antique retail environments in the eastern part of the state. Shoppers also visiting other Tennessee cities can compare options using the guide to the best antique stores in Nashville.
Planning Your Visit to the Clinton Antique Festival
The Clinton Antique Festival is held in Historic Downtown Clinton, Tennessee, twice each year spring on the first weekend of May and fall on the first weekend of October. Both editions are free to attend and suitable for all ages.
Visitor tips:
- Arrive at opening time on Friday for the widest vendor selection and easier parking before afternoon crowds build
- Plan to attend both festival days – Friday outdoor vendors and Saturday artisan participants offer different inventory
- The fall edition is the larger event; collectors prioritizing rare inventory should attend the fall festival
- Confirm dates and hours at adventureanderson.com or antiquesinclinton.com before visiting, as schedules may be updated closer to each event date
- The Sunday shop session (1:00 PM – 5:00 PM) following the spring festival provides a quieter opportunity to browse permanent shops after peak weekend crowds
Collector strategy: Friday opening provides maximum vendor access for both editions. The fall festival vendor count substantially exceeds the spring edition, making it the higher-priority event for serious collectors.
